The invention pertains to an apparatus and method for automatically cleaning reusable cartons, containers and similar articles and, in particular, an apparatus and method in which such cleaning is achieved in a more efficient and less space consuming manner.
Techniques for automatically cleaning articles such as cartons, cases or pans are known in the art. In one prior art technique designed to conserve space, the apparatus embodying the technique comprises upper and lower vertically and horizontally aligned chambers or channels. The upper chamber is the cleaning chamber of the apparatus and includes an upper conveyor for successively transporting the articles through washing and rinsing stations disposed adjacent the conveyor. The lower chamber, on the other hand, is the drying chamber of the apparatus. It includes a lower conveyor moving opposite to the upper conveyor which conveys the rinsed articles through a drying station.
For transporting the rinsed articles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, the apparatus further includes an inclined conveyor horizontally aligned with two chambers and having one end adjacent the delivery end of the upper conveyor and the other end adjacent the receiving end of the lower conveyor. In particular, the inclined conveyor is positioned at an acute angle relative to the upper conveyor so that the articles at the delivery end of the upper conveyor tip downwardly as their bottoms engage the top of the inclined conveyor. The articles are thus gradually turned upside down (rotated by 180.degree. relative to a horizontal axis transverse to the upper and lower conveyors) by the inclined conveyor and are delivered upside down to the delivery end of the lower conveyor. The latter conveyor then carries the articles through the drying station where they are completely dried.
As can be appreciated, in the aforesaid prior art system, during the gradual 180.degree. rotation of the articles by the inclined conveyor, some drainage of the rinsing liquid carried by the articles as a result of their passing through the rinsing station is caused to occur. However, the extent of such drainage is limited by the gradual manner in which the pans are turned.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic washing and drying apparatus and method which use a limited degree of space, but which have increased drainage capabilities in passing rinsed containers to a drying station.
It is also a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic washing and drying apparatus and method in which a simple and less complicated means is employed for conveying rinsed containers to a drying station.